Jimmy Awards alums on Broadway share tips for teens in the high school version of the Tonys

The 2016 National High School Musical Theatre Awards Performance at the Minskoff Theatre. (The Broadway League / Henry McGee)

Eighty high school students from across the U.S. are set to arrive in New York on Monday, their eyes set on a prize: Jimmy.

It’s not a who, it’s a what.

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The Jimmys, to be awarded June 25, is the nickname of the National High School Musical Theatre Awards. They were created a decade ago in honor of late Broadway mogul James M. Nederlander.

Think of it as the Tonys, but for high-schoolers.

The Jimmys, presented by the Broadway League, are bigger than ever. They’ll stream live from the Minskoff Theatre on Facebook.

Nearly seven dozen teens from 40 theater programs around the country who’ve already won local competitions will vie for best actor and best actress, plus scholarships. Andrew Barth Feldman of Lawrence Woodmere Academy and Alyssa McDonald of Nyack High School are slated to represent the Greater New York area.

Jimmys experience stands out on resume. “It’s like a pretty brooch on a jacket,” said Jai’len Christine Li Josey, who speaks with authority. She was named best actress in the 2014 Jimmys and now portrays Pearl Krabs in “SpongeBob SquarePants.”

Kyle Selig, a 2010 Jimmys champ who plays Aaron Samuels in “Mean Girls,” and Nathan Salstone, a 2012 competitor in the ensemble of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” are two more Jimmy alums on the Great White Way.

The trio shared tips with the Daily News for 2018 contestants who will spend this week rehearsing for the big night hosted by Laura Benanti, who won a Tony for “Gypsy” and does a mean Melania Trump imitation.

Solo time is key. “Take time to center yourself each day,” said Josey, adding that it’s easy to get “caught up in the excitement and thrill of meeting and socializing with the fellow kids.”

Look inward. “It’s not about who’s watching when you perform,” Selig said. “It’s about you and what you’re going through in the moment you’re on stage.”

Be yourself. “Stay true to what you bring to the table and don’t compare yourself to others,” Salstone said. “Don’t try to do what you think judges want, because you’ll never know what that is.”

Selig spoke for the threesome as he shared more advice. “Enjoy every minute,” he said. “The friends and connections that you make at the Jimmys last.”